Doreen Lawrence calls for Home Office probe into police

DOREEN LAWRENCE has called for the Home Office to reopen an inquiry into the police handling of her son’s murder, it has been reported.

The mother of murdered teenager, Stephen Lawrence, has written to home secretary, Theresa May, following fresh claims of corruption.

Last week a Scotland Yard report was leaked claiming that a police officer who interviewed the suspects following the racist killing had links to one of their fathers.

The document alleges Detective Sergeant John Davidson, who was a lead investigator in the inquiry, had received corrupt payments from Clifford Norris, whose son, David, was arrested weeks after the racist murder.

Stephen, an 18-year-old A-Level student, was stabbed to death in at a bus stop in Eltham, south east London, on April 22, 1993.

In January, 18 years after Stephen was killed, Gary Dobson, 36, and David Norris, 35, were sentenced to 15 years and 14 years respectively, for the racist murder.

It is believed the pair had three or four accomplices, who have yet to be brought to justice.

The teenager’s death prompted a public inquiry into the way the Metropolitan Police deal with racist crime.

The Macpherson inquiry, in 1999, was asked to examine allegations of corruption in the original murder inquiry, but concluded there was no evidence.

But it did make 70 recommendations, many aimed at the institutionalised racism throughout the Metropolitan police.

Lawrence told The Voice that she still felt race relations hadn’t improved: "Our kids are still being stopped and searched on the streets. There is still an issue around education and jobs. So for us to say that equal opportunities are out there for everyone would be wrong.”

She told The BBC: "I would like the home secretary to have another public inquiry into the corruption."